Conveying apparatus



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. T. S. MILLER. CONVEYING APPARATUS.

Patented Dec. 24

ANDREW BGRANAM4 PNOTWUTNEWASNINGTDNJ C (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. S. MILLER. CONVEYING APPARATUS.

No. 551,869. Patented Dec. 24, 1895.

AN DREW B GRAHAM PHOTO-UFHQWASHINGTON. n C

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

T. S. MILLER. GONVEYING APPARATUS.

No. 551,869. Patented Dec. 24,1895.

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yfnessss fzvenhnf r "W m 4 -%W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

THOMAS SPENCER MILLER, OF SOUTH ORANGE, NEIV JERSEY.

CONVEYING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 551,869, dated December 24, 1895.

Application filed March '5, 1895. Serial No. 540,599. (No model.)

I To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS SPENCER MIL- LER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of South Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements-in Oonveying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus in operation. Figs. 2 and 3 are details of a dumping-trip. Fig. 4 is a detail of the carriage, (lumping-trip, and bucket in operation. Figs. 5 and 6 are details of the bucket. Fig. 7 is a detail.

A is the cable or trackway.

B is the head-tower.

O is the tail-tower.

D is the rope-drum engine.

E is the load-carriage.

F is the fall-block.

G is the bucket.

II is the dumping-trip.

I is the fall-rope.

J is the traction-rope.

K are the fall-rope carriers.

The end of the fall-rope is connected with the fall-block, passes upward over the sheave 1 on the carriage, thence downward under the sheave 2 on the fall-block, thence upward over the sheave 3 on the carriage, and thence to the engine. One end of the traction-rope J is connected with the .outer side of the carriage and the other end with the inner side of the carriage, and it extends around a drum mally supported, when not in action, in a slack condition by a support, as 34, upon the falhblock, which support being in the form of an eye may act as a guide through which the dumping member may run when in ac tion. A dumping-member actuator (by which I refer to a member of any form having sub stantially the function of the hook 39 4:0 and which may or may not be mounted, as shown) is so supported and located that when it engages with the dumping member a differential motion may be produced between it and the fall-block, whereby it lifts the dumping member from its support upon the fall-block and dumps the bucket. The bucket is connected with the fall-block bya bail (by which I refer to substantially any form of connection performing the function of the bail 19 28 29) pivoted to the bucket, and the bucket is stayed from oscillating on the pivot until desired by a latch or stop mechanism, (by which I refer to any form of construction, such as 23 24,) which is so connected with the dumping member as to release the bail when the dumping member is actuated by thedumping-member actuator. The dumping-member actuator is mounted upon a carriage separate from the load-carriage, so that it can be run to any point of the span desired. The dumping -member actuator, it will be observed, is so mounted that there is a relative movement not merely between it and the fallblock, but also between it and the carriage. It is brought into a position to engage the dumping member as the carriage" and fallblock are moving relatively to it or toward it. It lifts the dumping member off of its support on the fall-block by the relative movement between it and the fall-block.

The above are prominent points in my present invention; but I do not wish to be limited to the presence of all of them.

Other points will be set forth in the following more detailed description.

The bucket G has the form shown in the drawings, resembling the form of the wellknown scraper provided with a digging-edge 7, the extension of which backward forms the substantially flat bottom portion 8, from the edges of which risethe side portions 9. The bottom 8 is extended upward at the rear of the bucket and over the top, as at 10, to such a distance as to provide a receptacle at the rear of the digging-edge adapted to hold the material scraped up thereby.

11 12 are handles by which a workman can assist the operation of the scraper, when necessary.

On opposite sides, in substantially the position shown in the figures, are fixed the journals 13 14, to which are pivoted respectively the arms 15 and 16, the ends of which arms are coupled by the pins 17 and 18 with the extremities of a member 19 that is coupled to the fall-block by the pin 20. The members 19, 15 and 16 constitute substantially a clevis jointed at 17 18, whereby the journals 1.3 14 are connected with the fall-block. It will thus be seen that there are substantially two pivotal lines in the connections between the clevis 19 and the bucketviz. at the journals 13 14 and at the pins 17 18. WVhen the bucket is in the act of filling, the pivotal movement takes place substantially 011 the line 17 18; whereas in the act of dumping, the pivotal movement takes place substantially on the line 13 14. WVhen in the act of filling, the arms 15 16 are therefore held in such position as to bring the pivotal line 17 18 in such position relatively to the bottom 8 and the digging-edge 7 that when the bucket is pulled by the fall-block the digging-edge will scrape the surface of an embankment, as shown in Fig. 1, and deposit the material in the body of the bucket. WVith the form and proportions of the bucket shown this pivotal line 17 18 is correctly positioned in Figs. and 6.

For holding the arms and 16 in the filling position referred to, the following mechanism is provided.

21 22 are ears fixed upon the sides of the bucket that stop the movement ofthe arms 15 and 16 on the side next the bottom of the bucket. 23 24 are cars that stop the movement of the arms in the opposite direction. The ears 23 24, however, instead of being fixed are mounted upon the extremities of a piece 25, which is pivoted to the sides of the bucket at 26 27. When in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5, the cars 23 24 act as stops against the movement of the arms 15 and 16; but when in the position shown in dotted lines they do not act as such stops, because they are then in a position opposite the outwardly-bent portions 28 and 29 of the arms 15 and 16, which outwardly-bent portions pass freely over them, permitting the rotating of the bucket on the pivotal line 1314 until the cars 30 31 fixed near the rear of the bucket are struck by the arms 15 and 16.

It will be observed that the arms 15 and 16 are substantially extensions of the clevis 19, the three parts forming, in substance, a clevis jointed at 17 18, whereby the fall-block is connectedwith the journals 13 and 14 also, that the stop mechanism 23 24 in one position stays the pivotal action at the journals 13 14, but in the other position permits of such action, acting in one position to hold the bucket in scraping position and against turning over, and acting in the other position to permit the bucket to turn over for dumping.

While the bucket is filling and conveying, the parts are in the position shown in full lines in Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 6. It remains to describe the changed position of the parts when dumping occurs, which is shown in dotted lines in the figures, and how it is produced.

32 is a ring mounted on the bucket near its rear end, to which is secured a chain 33 that extends over the top of the bucket and through an eye 34 (see Figs. 4 and 7) connected with the fall-block.

35 is a cross-piece fixed to the end of the chain 33 which rests upon the eye 34 and supports the chain in filling and conveying position. 1

36 is a forked projection on the member or lever 25 which straddles the chain 33 between the buttons 37 38. r

39 and 40 are members, of the form shown, which constitute substantially a hook forming the active member of the dumping-trip H. The members 39 40 preferably flare out from each other, as shown, and are placed so as to straddle the path in which the eye 34 descends at the dumping-point, but are near enough together so as to engage with and hold the crosspiece 35. Thus,when the bucket has been con veyed to the proper point for dumping and the engine lowers away on the fall-rope, the support of the chain will be transferred from the fall-block to the members 39 40 of the dumping-trip II. As new the fall-block continues to descend, the holding up of the chain 33 will produce a movement, the first eifect of which will be by the operation of the button 37 to shift the lever 25 from the position shown in full lines to the posit-ion shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, thus removing the stops 23 24 out of the path of the arms 15 16 and leaving the bucket free to rotate upside down on the pivotal line 13 14. The next effect will be for the continued descent of the fall-block to lower the pivotal line 13 14 below the ring 32 until the dumped position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 is reached. Thereafter the raising of the fall-block until the support of the chain 33 has been returned to the fallblock will return the parts to the position shown in full lines, which position they will maintain until the scraping and conveyin g of a new load has been accomplished.

As an exceedingly desirable means of supporting the operative member of the dumpingtrip, I have shown the following.

41 and 42 are side members of a frame, upon the lower portion of which are fixed the members 39 and 40. These side members extend upward on either side of the cable A, and are connected above the cable and there provided with a member, as the sheave 43, resting on the cable. They are connected together, also, below the cable. They are held in a forwardlyinclined position by a backwardly-extending .brace 44, at the top of which is placed another tower 0.

By the structure just described the dumping-trip member is so supported that it can be located with great convenience at substantially any point along the span that may be desired by simply regulatingthe length of the rope 48 so as to run it backward or forward 011 the sheaves 43 and 45. This affords the at tendant means of producing the dump at any point of the span.

I claiml. The combination of a cableway or track, a carriage traveling thereon, a traction rope for controlling the movement of said carriage, a fall rope pendent from said carriage, a fall block and a bucket sustained by said fall rope, a dumpingmember connected to the bucket, a dumping -member-actuator relativelyto which said fall block has a differential movement, a bail connected with the fall block and pivoted to said bucket, a latch whereby said pivotal connection is stayed and a member connecting said latch with said dumping member, substantially as described; whereby the differential movement between said dumping-member-actuator and said fall block releases said bail and causes the dumping of the bucket, as set forth.

2. The combination of a cableway or track,

a carriage traveling thereon, a fall rope pendent from said carriage, afall-block and a bucket sustained by said fall-rope, a dumping member connected to the bucket, a dumping-member-actuator relatively to which said fall-block has a differential movement, a bail connected with the fall-block and pivoted to said bucket, a latch whereby said pivotal connection is stayed and a member connecting said latch with said dumping member, substantially as described; whereby the differential movement between said dumping-member-actuator and said fall-block releases said bail and causes the dumping of the bucket, as set forth.

3. The combination of a cableway or track,

a carriage traveling thereon, a fall-rope pendent from said carriage, a fall-block and a bucket sustained by said fall-rope, a dumping member connected at its lower end with said bucket, a support upon said fall-block for the upper end of said dumping member, a dumping-member-actuator relatively to which said fall block has a differential movement, abail connected with the fall block and pivoted to said bucket, a latch whereby said pivotal connection is stayed and a member connecting said latch with said'dumping member, substantially as described; whereby the differential movement between said dumpingmember-actuator and said fall block releases said bail and causes the dumping of the bucket, as set forth.

4. The combination of a cableway or track, a carriage traveling thereon, a fall rope pendent from said carriage, a fall block and a bucket sustained by said fall rope, a dumping member connected to the bucket, a dumpingmember-actuator relatively to which said fallblock has a differential movement, a bail connected with the fall block and pivoted to said bucket, a latch whereby said pivotal connection is stayed, a lever as 25, mounted upon the bucket and carrying said latch and a projection on said dumping member whereby the differential movement between said dumping member and said bucket releases said bail and the differential movement between said dumping member and said fall block causes the dumping of the bucket, as set forth.

5. The combination of a cableway or track, a carriage traveling thereon, a fall rope pendent from said carriage, a fall block and a bucket'sustained by said fall rope, a flexible dumping member connected to the bucket, a support for the upper end of the same in such position that said dumping member is normally slack between said support and its connection with'the bucket, a dumping-memberactuator relatively to which said fall block has a differential movement, a bail connected with the fall block and pivoted to said bucket, a latch whereby said pivotal connection is stayed and a member connecting said latch with said dumping member, substantially as described; whereby said dumping-memberactuator first takes up the slack of said dumping member and thereby releases said bail and second, lifts one side of the bucket by said dumping member and thereby causes the dump, as set forth.

6. The combination of a cablewayor track, a carriage traveling thereon, a traction rope for controlling the movement of said carriage, a fall rope pendent from said carriage, a fall block and a bucket sustained by said fall rope, a dumping member connected to the bucket, a support upon the fall block for the upper end of said dumping member, a dumpingmember-actuator consisting of a hook adapted to engage with the upper end of said member and a separate carriage whereon said hook is mounted, substantially as described; whereby by the differential movement between said hook and said fall block a support for said dumping member is transferred from said fall block to said hook and the bucket is dumped, substantially as described.

7. The combination of a cableway or track, a carriage traveling thereon, a fall rope pendent from said carriage, a fall block and a bucket sustained by said fall rope, a dumping member connected to the bucket, a dumpingmember-actuator relatively to which said fall block has a differential movement, a bail connected with the fall block and pivoted to said bucket at a point above its center of gravity when in non-dumping position and a support IIO upon said fall block for said dumping member,substantial1y as described whereby when said dumping member rests upon said fall block support the bucket will tend to return to the non dumping position but will be dumped by the transfer of the support of said dumping member to said actuator and the differential movement between said actuator and said fall block, as set forth.

8. In a conveying apparatus, in combination, a cableway or track, a carriage traveling thereon, a fall rope pendent from said carriage, a fall block and a bucket sustained by said fall rope, a dumping member connected to said bucket, a support for said dumping member upon said fall block and a dumping-member-actuator which is brought into engagement with said dumping member by relative movement between it and the carriage and then by relative movement between it and the fall block removes said dumping member from its support on the fall block in dumping the bucket; said dumping-memberactuator being fixed to one of said parts between which and both the carriage and the fall block there is a relative movement, substantially as described.

9. In a hoisting apparatus, in combination, a fall-rope, a fall block, a bucket, a dumping member connected to said bucket, a support on said fall-block for said dumping member and a dumping-member-actuator, and a rope connected with said dumping-member-actuator and extending to an end of the span, substantially as described.

10. In a hoisting apparatus,in combination, 

